TY - JOUR A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Avilov, Vjaceslav A1 - Gumenyuk, Andrey A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Numerical simulation of full-penetration laser beam welding of thick aluminium plates with inductive support JF - Journal of Physics D N2 - A three-dimensional laminar steady-state numerical model was developed to investigate the influence of an alternating current (ac) magnetic field during high-power full-penetration laser welding on the weld pool dynamics and weld cross section of a 20 mm thick aluminium plate in flat position. Three-dimensional heat transfer, fluid dynamics including phase transition and electromagnetic field partial differential equations were solved iteratively with the commercial finite element software COMSOL Multiphysics using temperature-dependent material properties up to evaporation temperature. Thermocapillary convection at the weld pool surfaces, natural convection and latent heat of solid–liquid phase transition were taken into account in this model. Solidification was modelled by the Carman–Kozeny equation for porous media morphology. The ac magnet was mounted on the root side of the weld specimen. The magnetic field was aligned perpendicular to the welding direction. The flow pattern in the melt and thus also the temperature distribution were significantly changed by the application of oscillating magnetic fields. It was shown that the application of an ac magnetic field to laser beam welding allows for a prevention of the gravity drop-out. The simulation results are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. KW - Electromagnetic weld pool support KW - Laser beam welding KW - Lorentz force KW - Marangoni stresses KW - Natural convection PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/45/3/035201 SN - 0022-3727 SN - 1361-6463 VL - 45 IS - 3 SP - 035201-1 - EP - 035201-13 PB - IOP Publ. CY - Bristol AN - OPUS4-25286 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -